This month’s meeting led by Laura (in Barbara’s absence) focused on revisiting favorite quilts from previous shows. Several members submitted photos of their favorite quilts. Laura shared two videos:

“The Best of QuiltCon 2020”: Discussion followed about the quilting, the lines and the shapes that express emotions in quilts. Discussion about the purpose of quilts: Is it to make something pleasing or to express an idea, feeling or emotion. What do you do when making a quilt?

The Best of QuiltCon 2018″: Discussion about the colors used and your favorite color palette followed.

Laura shared, “Abstract Design in American Quilts at 50: Journey to Japan Virtual Gallery Walk Through”: Discussion about the similarity and differences in quilts from Japan compared to local work followed. Some people like to read the title and artist statement to get a better understanding of the maker’s intent.  Some people just make quilts and realize the quilt is reflecting an idea or feeling they are felling as they work.  Gayle puts a bit of fabric from previous quilts she has made in every new quilt, to link the connections together.  Mary thinks each person will react differently to the same image in a quilt and that is the one of the wonderful things about art. Lively and insightful discussions followed.

International Quilt Museum (IQM): As a member of the IEMQG you have access to the online resources at the IQM in Lincoln, Nebraska. Go to the website and input the following information, User: iemodernquiltguild@iemqguild and Password: Qui1ts!

Survey Results: Laura shared a summary of the recent survey that 20 members responded to. Members identified benefits of having in-person meetings, zoom meetings, and a combination.  There was not a majority consensus on the kind of meetings we should have in the future. Members appreciate high quality teachers, amount to pay for the classes varied. Members were split on selling items no longer used but were more positive about purchasing other’s items to fundraise for the guild. Three-quarters of our members agreed to work on a community quilt for QuiltCon. Laura took an informal poll on an in-person meeting time as the board is considering changing from 2 pm to 10 am.  There was much discussion about times, dates, and ability to participate if things change.  The board will look at sending out another formal survey to all members, with closed-ended questions, before deciding about future meeting times/dates. The survey results are as follows.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SHOW AND SHARE – The board has unanimously reversed an earlier decision to only share Modern Quilts at Show and Share.  Moving forward, please submit any quilt you are working on regardless of the type, to help us get to know each other through our work and to celebrate the wonderful creations we each make. Show and Share quilt photos can be submitted anytime to the iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com.  Quilts that arrive by the Monday preceding the general meeting will be included in that general meeting.  Photos that arrive after that will be held until the next general meeting.

MEET & EAT – The next Meet & Eat is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 9 am – 1 pm. Bring your lunch, a chair, show and shares, community group quilt triangles and join your quilty friends at the SSgt. Salvador J. LaraCasa Blanca Library.

We are going to test this as a hybrid meeting, and here is the zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85403466552?pwd=WHpnaGZ1KzlQVm9SZU9hZFYyN2RpZz09

OCTOBER GUILD MEETING & SAMPLER PLATTER –

October General Meeting, October 2, 10 – 11 am, Zoom (Note time change!).  Churn Dash challenge due (send picture of your quilt the Monday prior to the meeting to iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com.  You should still have plenty of time to finish your churn dash featuring alternate gridwork and negative space. Can’t wait to see what you all create!

Sampler Platter, October 2, from 12 – 3, zoom (hence time change above), email with link and PDF file for presentations will be sent prior to meeting.  Platter continues Sunday, October 3, noon to 3 as well.  The Sampler Platter is 15-minute lessons by well know quilt instructors from around the world.  Attend as many as you like courtesy of the IEMQG (we paid for members to be able to attend).

RETREAT AT VINA – We have two openings. If interested, let Barbara know ASAP.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE – We are in need two volunteers from the general membership to join Laura and Patti on the committee. Nominating committee will recommend candidates for President, Programs, Communications, Treasurer, Secretary, Charity, and possibly other positions. If you are interested, please contact Laura or Patti.

SPOTLIGHT QUILTERS FOR UPCOMING MEETINGS – Who would you like to see spotlighted?  A quilt Con favorite instructor, a You-tuber, Blogger, favorite author?  Let Laura know if you have someone in mind you would like to know more about.  Would you like to give a 10–15-minute summary of a quilter at one of our Zoom meetings?  Let Laura know.

See you all next month!!

Guild Mini Mod Swap

Berene Campbell of Happy Sew Lucky introduced the guild swap project. Below are the key points of her presentation:

• Fundraiser for scholarships to BIPOC, LGBTQ2SL+ and Indigenous people from Canada.  (Where Berene lives)
• Berene has spoken to many guilds and raised over $10,000 so far.
• She shared photos of two recent scholarship recipients.
• Donate $5 by pay pal to the guild or a check to Candy.  The guild will send one check to Berene.
• Additional donations can be made here.

Berene has designed the mini block patterns and the blocks finish at 2″x 2″. Some blocks are simple, like a four-patch or cross blocks, some are paper pieced and some are curved.

If you participate:

• You will select a color group (warm, cool, or neutral).
• You will select a background color (black, white, or gray).
• You will receive a set of patterns.
• You can get construction tips from Berene’s tutorials on YouTube.
• You will make six blocks for yourself, and six blocks for four others in your group, a total of thirty blocks.
• You will mail six blocks to each person, and you will receive six blocks from each person in your group, until you end up with thirty blocks.
• You can use them to make a small quilt, or any number of projects suggested on her website
• The projects are yours to keep.
• You will receive an email from the inland empire modern quilt guild asking if you want to participate.
• The email will include relevant due dates.
• You will select your colors and provide a mailing address.
• Once the groups are formed, you will receive all the directions, dates, and resources for help to complete your blocks.

The guild will have a show and share of the projects from this mini mod swap at our December meeting.

Announcements

RETREAT AT VINA DE LESTONNAC: As a reminder our annual retreat this year is November 8, 9, and 10. There are a couple of spots available – if you are interested in joining the retreat, contact Barbara to reserve a spot. We are taking reservations from non-guild members at this time as well.

QUILTCON COMMUNITY QUILT OUTREACH CHALLENGE: Our guild is making a group quilt to hang at QuiltCon in Phoenix in February 2022. To participate, contact Patti or Lynn to receive a package of fabric, triangle template, and directions. As a recap, each participant is making six triangles and returning them by September 18, at the next Meet & Eat. You can also return the triangles by mail. The layout of the triangles/hexagons will be a joint project at the retreat in November. For additional information please refer to the QuiltCon Group Challenge information packet

MEET & EAT: The next Meet & Eat is scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 9 am to 1 pm. Bring your lunch, a chair, show and shares, group quilt triangles and join your quilty friends at the SSgt. Salvador J. LaraCasa Blanca Library (Note the meeting time has changed in order to avoid the extreme heat in the middle of the afternoon).

CHURN DASH BLOCK CHALLENGE: This is your opportunity to work with an alternate grid and/or other elements of a modern quilt! All that’s need to participate is a photo of your quilt top or finished quilt. All entries due by the Wednesday before the October meeting. Send a photo to Laura at the guild’s email address, iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com.

“See” you next month – stay cool!

In our President’s absence, Candy welcomed guests to the meeting. We kicked off the meeting program with Lynn Hanna’s final installment of “What is a Modern Quilt?”

“WHAT IS A MODERN QUILT?“

Part 7 of the series is called “Updating Traditional Quilt Designs”. Lynn explained the three ways to update a traditional quilt design by changing the scale, altering the block shape or orientation, and color placement. She showed several examples of each. Sad to see this series end, but if you missed any part of the series, don’t worry, we will be doing a recap blog post next month including our top 3 quilt examples from each series.

CHURN DASH CHALLENGE:

As a reminder, we will show off our quilt tops (does not need to be quilted or bound) at the October meeting to give you plenty of time to complete the challenge. This is your opportunity to explore modern design utilizing an alternate grid layout or negative space, for example (pssst, this is a great time to use Lynn’s “What is a Modern Quilt” series for inspiration).  Also feel free to show off any drawings, pattern books, or practice blocks on Facebook and Instagram to inspire others. Our work in progress will hopefully get others enthused & inspired and lessen any apprehension. ICYMI, here’s the information sheet with all the details you need. If you have questions, please contact either Patti or Laura.

QuiltCon 2022 – PHOENIX, AZ

The upcoming QuiltCon is scheduled for February 16-20, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The class schedule is now available. Discounted MQG member class registration begins on Wednesday, August 4th at 7 am PST. If you’re not sure right now if you want to attend QuiltCon or take any classes, you should at least register by November 2022, to receive your free pass (which is a perk included with your MQG membership). After November, there is a fee to get into the convention. Quilt entry submissions are being accepted between September 1 – October 31st. If your quilt(s) are chosen to be in the show, you will be notified by December 15th. Hope to see a bunch of IEMQG member quilts on display – if yours is selected, please let us know! By the way, on the QuiltCon website there is a newsletter you can sign up for so you don’t miss any important dates or details.

QuiltCon Community Quilt Outreach Challenge

We are pleased to announce that IEMQG will be participating in this challenge! The co-Chairs for this challenge are Patti and Lynn! The MQG launched this challenge which affords Guilds the opportunity to make a group quilt, enter it, display it at QuiltCon, and sell it to raise funds for Women of Color Quilters Network and the Navajo Quilt Project.

This year’s theme is angles and must be twin size, which is approximately 65” x 85”. There is a specific fabric line and color palette as well: Moda Bella Solids – White, Boysenberry (9900-217) , Geranium (9900-258), Amelia Orange (9900-161), Yellow (9900-24) and Fig Tree Olive (9900-69). We can use two colors only or all six!

Patti designed a modern hexagon quilt design. Each member interested in participating will make six triangles. A packet has been created with all the supplies required to make the six blocks. Packets will be distributed at the July 17th Meet and Eat and collected at the September Meet and Eat. If you are unable to attend the July Meet and Eat, alternate arrangements can be made for receiving a packet.

We hope you will participate in this awesome opportunity! For additional information, please read the QuiltCon Group Challenge information packet.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEET & EAT: We have a Meet & Eat scheduled for Saturday, July 17, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your lunch, show and shares, and join your quilty friends at the SSgt. Salvador J. LaraCasa Blanca Library (Note this is a new location).

SURVEY: A survey was emailed to all members last month. Results will be revealed soon – stay tuned!

BOLO ALERT: We have a guild block swap in the works and will be discussed in greater detail at our August meeting. Additional details will be provide in a separate blog post in a couple weeks.

“SEE” YOU NEXT MONTH!!

May’s program was called “What was I Thinking?!?!” – Stories of purchase mistakes. Members spoke about epic fails – Laura’s attempt at DIY spray baste and Barbara’s 3D software kit for her Husqvarna to purchases that were still wrapped in plastic. The number one purchase mistakes seemed to be RULERS!!! It seems we are most vulnerable to ruler purchases when they are being demonstrated at Quilt Shows!

Ahem…, here are some of the rulers bought and regret followed shortly thereafter: Jaybird’s Sidekick and Hex N More rulers, Stripology ruler, Creative Grids Face Mask Template and Janet Platt’s Quick Point & Scallop rulers. Other product offenders were the Curve Master Presser Foot and Cheryl Ann’s Portable Design Wall.

Members thought it would be beneficial (and sew fun) to do product shares after next year’s Road to California show. Stay tuned!

IEMQG SUMMER 2021 ALTERNATE GRID CHALLENGE – Featuring the Churn Dash Block:

Let’s get modern with an alternate layout or negative space using a CHURN DASH block!
Here’s an opportunity to practice and experiment with making a quilt top (no need to have it quilted). You choose the size, color, and placement. You determine the alternate grid with negative space, rotation, slicing, or deleted parts. We will show off our quilt tops at the October meeting to give you plenty of time to complete the challenge. Let’s show off any drawings, pattern books, or practice blocks on Facebook and Instagram to inspire others. Our work in progress will hopefully get others enthused & inspired and lessen any apprehension.

Laura loves the wonky rectangle Churn Dash that Patti showed in the information sheet sent with the last week’s Zoom invitation. Laura’s blocks are solid blues and greens on snow white Kona. She’s planning on only using 5 Churn Dashes with plenty of negative space.

ADDITIONAL MEETING DETAILS

We continued with Lynn Hanna’s ‘What is a Modern Quilt?’ series, Part 6. Lynn showed examples of Negative Space quilts. Don’t miss Part 7 (and final installation) – ‘Updating Traditional Quilt Designs’ in July! If you missed any part of the series, don’t worry, we will be doing a recap blog post including our top 3 quilt examples from each series. Yay!

Be sure to check out the Share and Show photos for this month on our Facebook and Instagram sites.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MEET & EAT: We have a Meet & Eat scheduled for Saturday, May 15, 2021. We’ll be meeting from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your lunch, show and shares, a chair and join in with friends at Shamel Park, Riverside. It is just off the 91 freeway (Arlington Exit). The address is 3650 Arlington Ave, Riverside, California. Gayle will be in attendance to collect any charity quilts. If you need batting, please contact her with your size requirement(s). We hope you can join us for a fun afternoon of sewcializing!!

GLOBAL QUILT CONNECTIONS: Just a reminder to keep Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23 from 12 pm to 3 pm PST open for the “All Star Virtual Sampler Platter Event” which will feature an All-Star cast of 18 quilt teachers will demonstrate some of their favorite quilting techniques over two different days. You will receive a PDF that includes written instructions to go along with each teacher’s demonstration, as well as a page with tips for making the most of the live demonstrations and the Zoom link.  Be on the lookout for this email going out on or about May 17th. If you don’t receive it, please contact us at iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing your feedback on the teachers that interested you the most (or least) – drop us a note at your convenience.

MINI MID-MOD QUILT WORKSHOP WITH DAVID OWEN HASTINGS: Join us for an afternoon of fun on Saturday, June 12th from 2pm-5pm. You will be making charming little quilts that are inspired by Mid-Century Modern design, and are a great skill-building project to learn a number of quilting techniques. They are too cute to pass up!

There are still spots available for this workshop for both members and non-members. The fee is $40 and can be paid via PayPal to iemodernquiltguild@gmail.com. If you are unfamiliar with making a payment via PayPal, here’s a helpful link.

2021 RETREAT UPDATE: Our annual retreat this year is at Vina de Lestonnac in Temecula and is scheduled for November 8-10th. We have filled the 22 spots available, but we have started a Wait List in the event a spot opens up. Please contact us at if you would like to be added.

BOLO ALERT: Be on the lookout for our SurveyMonkey poll coming soon to your inbox! Please complete as we value your input and comments.

That’s all – see you again next month!!